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POST REINFORCEMENT 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/004,486 entitled POST REINFORCEMENT and filed on Jan. 22, 2016, which in turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/107,041 entitled POST REINFORCEMENT and filed on Jan. 23, 2015. The entire contents of both of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to a post reinforcement, and more particularly, to a post reinforcement which can at least partially surround and reinforcement a post. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Posts and poles can be used in a variety of manners such as porch supports, fence posts, telephone/utility poles, and the like. The posts are often located outdoors, and in some cases are installed and set in cement foundations, for example foundations up to around three to four feet deep. When the post is made of wood or other materials susceptible to degradation, wear or rot, the post may lose structural integrity due to repeated exposure to moisture and natural forces, thereby putting the post at risk for failure. 
         [0004]    Posts are typically most vulnerable to rotting at or just below ground level. In particular, when such posts are set in concrete, rain water typically collects on top of the concrete, thereby increasing the post&#39;s exposure to moisture at or just below ground level. In many cases, aside from a weakened portion at or near ground level, the remainder of the length of the post is structurally sound. Accordingly, reinforcement of the post at ground level may increase the useful life of the post as a functional support and help to avoid or postpone the costs associated with replacing the entire post. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In one embodiment, the invention is a post reinforcement including a panel having a body portion and a stake portion. The post reinforcement further includes a first barb coupled to and extending away from the panel, wherein the first barb is generally positioned on a first side of the panel. The post reinforcement also includes a second barb coupled to and extending away from the panel, wherein the second barb is generally positioned on a second side of the panel opposite the first side. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a post reinforcement; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a left side view of the post reinforcement of  FIG. 1 , but showing an inwardly-angled stake portion; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a rear (interior) view of the post reinforcement of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is right side view of the post reinforcement of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates the post reinforcement of  FIG. 1  secured to an embedded post; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the post reinforcement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , an embodiment of a post reinforcement  10  includes a center or main panel  12  and two opposed side panels  14  positioned an opposite ends of the main panel  12 . Each of the panels  12 ,  14  is shown as a generally flat, rectangular piece of sheet-like material with a generally rectangular body or body portion  13 . The center panel  12  and each side panel  14  are set at angles to each other to define a cavity or receptacle  16  therebetween that is sized and shaped to receive a post or pole  15  ( FIG. 5 ) therein, such a wooden post. In the depicted embodiment, the panels  12 ,  14  are roughly equally shaped and sized, and positioned at about 90° relative to the adjacent panel(s) such that the receptacle  16  has a generally square or rectangular cross-section, for example to receive a 4″×4″ post  15 . 
         [0013]    Though the post reinforcement  10  is depicted with three total panels  12 ,  14 , it should be understood that the post reinforcement  10  may include more panels, up to and including an amount sufficient to completely enclose the post  15 , if desired. Alternatively, the post reinforcement  10  can include fewer panels than those shown to abut fewer sides of the post  15  (for example, one of the depicted panels  14  could be omitted). It should be further understood that the panels  12 ,  14  may take any shape, size, and relative orientation as appropriate to closely receive and/or fit about a particular target post  15 , including posts with any of a variety of polygonal and/or curved cross sections. In one embodiment, the post reinforcement  10  may include only a single curved panel, or more than one panel, to define a receptacle  16  with a generally semicircular or generally circular cross-section, for example to receive a cylindrical pole. 
         [0014]    One or more of the panels  12 ,  14  can have a stake portion  18  or portions  18  extending from a bottom  20  of the body portion  13  of the respective panel  12 ,  14 . The stake portion  18  may be integrally formed with the panel  12 ,  14 , or alternatively formed of a separate piece of material. When the post reinforcement  10  is installed on a post  15 , the stake portion  18  is driven downward between the post  15  and the surrounding support structure, substrate or surface  17  (e.g., the cement foundation, soil, etc.) as shown in  FIG. 5 . Each stake portion  18  may taper to a point  22 , which may facilitate installation of the post reinforcement  10  by providing a penetrating point. 
         [0015]    The post reinforcement  10  may be able to be pounded into place from above with a hammer, mallet, or the like, by concentrating the force of the blows to a small surface area (via the points  22  in one case) and driving the post reinforcement  10  into/below the surrounding support structure  17 . In the depicted embodiment, each of the three panels  12 ,  14  includes a stake portion  18 , and each stake portion  18  has about the same size and shape. Alternately, the post reinforcement  10  may include stake portions  18  on fewer than all of the panels  12 ,  14 , and/or different panels  12 , 14  may include stake portions  18  with different shapes and/or dimensions (length and/or width). Further alternately the post reinforcement  10  can include multiple stake portions  18  per panel  12 ,  14 , and/or stake portions  18  with shapes different from the triangular shape of the depicted embodiment, for example jagged/serrated, W-shaped, U-shaped, square-shaped, trapezoidal, or any of a variety of other polygonal or curved forms. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment one or more, or all (see  FIG. 6 ), of the stake portions  18  may be angled slightly inward toward the receptacle  16 , or the stake portions  18  may be otherwise inwardly-biased and/or spring-loaded. For example, in one case each stake portion  18  is angled inwardly relative to the body  13  of the associated panel  12 ,  14  by up to about 20° or less, or up to about 10° or less. Only the stake portion  18  associated with the main panel  12  in  FIG. 2  is shown angled in this manner for illustrative purposes, although it should be understood the other stake portions  18  may be similarly angled. Accordingly, in this embodiment, to install the post reinforcement  10  onto a post  15 , the stake portion(s)  18  may need to be splayed slightly outwardly from their normal position (for example, into planar alignment with the body  13  of the panels  12 ,  14 ), to allow the reinforcement  10  to receive the post  15  in the receptacle  16 . Thus, when the reinforcement  10  is positioned on the post  15 , the stake portions  18  are biased into the sides of the post  15  in a gripping fashion, and the points  22  may at least slightly initially penetrate into the post  15 . When the post reinforcement  10  is driven into the support structure  17  from above, the points  22  may further penetrate into the post  15  for a more secure installation. 
         [0017]    One or more of the stake portions  18  may further include inwardly-oriented barbs  24  that project into/toward the receptacle  16  and/or outwardly-oriented barbs  26  that project outwardly from the stake portions  18  away from the receptacle  16  and toward the surrounding support structure  17 . In the depicted embodiment, the inwardly-oriented barbs  24  are positioned above the outwardly-oriented barbs  26  (i.e. the inwardly-oriented barbs  24  are positioned between the outwardly-oriented barbs  26  and body  13  of the panels  12 ,  14 ), and the inwardly-oriented barbs  24  are larger in size, but this need not be the case. In embodiments with multiple stake portions  18 , each stake portion  18  need not necessarily include the same number and/or configuration of barbs  24 ,  26 . When the post reinforcement  10  is installed on a post  15 , the inwardly-oriented barbs  24  anchor into the body of the post  15 , for example by fully or partially penetrating into the post  15  below ground level, thereby improving stability of the system. If the stake portions  18  are angled inwardly, this helps to drive the barbs  24  into the post  15 . The outwardly-oriented barbs  26  anchor into the surrounding support structure  17 , providing resistance against uprooting of the post reinforcement  10  once installed. 
         [0018]    The barbs  24 ,  26  may be set at a slight angle, for example up to about 30° or less, or up to about 15° or less, relatively to a main portion/body portion of the associated stake portion  18 . In the depicted embodiment, the barbs  24 ,  26  are generally triangular in shape, and are integrally formed with the stake portions  18 . However it should be appreciated that the barbs  24 ,  26  may alternately be external components attached to the stake portions  18 , and that the barbs  24 ,  26  may be formed in any of a variety of shapes, for example jagged/serrated, W-shaped, U-shaped, square-shaped, trapezoidal, or any of a variety of other polygonal or curved forms. 
         [0019]    The post reinforcement  10  may include one or more strike surfaces  28  to facilitate installation thereof. In one embodiment, the strike surface  28  takes the form of a flange positioned at or proximate to the top  30  of the body  13  of one or more of the panel  12 ,  14 . The strike surface  28  may be a flange or surface that extends generally perpendicularly from the body  13  of the panel  12 ,  14  to which it is attached, as depicted. Alternately the strike surface(s)  28  may be positioned anywhere along one or more of the panels  12 ,  14  suitable for providing an accessible surface to receive the head of a mallet, hammer, or other driving device to install the post reinforcement  10  by striking the strike surface  28  to drive the reinforcement  10  downwardly. The strike surface  28  may be integral with its respective panel  12 ,  14 , or it may be a separate component attached thereto. Each panel  12 ,  14  may have a strike surface  28  that extends along the majority of the top  30  of its respective body  13 . Alternately, one or more panels  12 ,  14  may lack a strike surface  28 , and/or the strike surfaces  28  may extend along only a portion of the length of the top  30  of the body  13  of the panel  12 ,  14 . Each or all of the strike surfaces  28  may have a surface area of at least about one square inch in one case, or at least about four square inches in another case, to provide a sufficient surface area for striking. 
         [0020]    The post reinforcement  10  may include any of a variety of additional features to facilitate secure attachment to the target post  15 . In one embodiment, one or more of the panels  12 ,  14  includes one or more openings  32  in the body  13  thereof. Each opening  32  may be sized and/or configured to receive a fastener  34  therein/therethrough, such as a wood screw, lag screw, etc. to directly secure the post reinforcement  10  to the target post  15 . In one embodiment, panels  12 ,  14  positioned opposite to each other across the receptacle  16  (for example, the opposed side panels  14  in the depicted embodiment) may include aligned openings  36  to receive a bolt  38  or other fastener therethrough. To facilitate installation of the bolt  38 , a bore may need to be drilled through the target post  15  at the appropriate location of the post  15  to line up with the openings  36 . In one embodiment, the opening  36  on one side panel  14  may be slightly larger than the opening  36  on the opposite side panel  14  (for example, the opening  36  on one panel  14  can have a ⅜ inch diameter and the opening  36  on the other panel  14  can have a ½ inch diameter) to provide some flexibility in case the bore through the target post  15  is not perfectly aligned with the openings  36 . A nut  40  ( FIG. 1 ) may be used to secure the bolt  38  in place. 
         [0021]    The bodies  13  of one or more of the panels  12 ,  14  of the post reinforcement  10  may further include one or more teeth  42  extending inward into/toward the receptacle  16  to penetrate into and grip the target post  15  above ground level. In the depicted embodiment, only the panels  14  include teeth  42 , and the teeth  42  are at different vertical positions relative to each other on their respective panels  14  (see  FIG. 3 ). The teeth  42  may be integral with the panels  14  to which they are attached, and they may be positioned/extend generally perpendicular to the body  13  of their respective panel  14 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the post reinforcement  10  includes both the openings  32 / 36  and the teeth  42  on the same ones of panels  12 ,  14 . Thus, the tightening of the bolt  38  and/or fastener  34  can serve to drive the teeth  42  into the target post  15 . The teeth  42  may alternately be driven into the target post  15  by other means, including, for example via direct force applied to the panel  12 / 14  with a hammer, mallet, or the like. In the depicted embodiment, the teeth  42  are generally triangular in shape, but the teeth  42  may alternately be formed in any of a variety of shapes, for example jagged/serrated, W-shaped, U-shaped, square-shaped, trapezoidal, or any of a variety of other polygonal or curved forms. 
         [0023]    The post reinforcement  10  may be constructed of any of a variety of materials, and the components thereof may be sized and proportioned according to the particular application, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In one embodiment, the post reinforcement  10  is formed from a single unitary or integral, seamless sheet of material, for example in one case galvanized steel with a thickness of about ⅜ inch or greater. Accordingly, all of the components that form the basic body of the post reinforcement  10 , including the panels  12 ,  14 , the stake portions  18 , the barbs  24 ,  26 , the strike surfaces  28 , the teeth  42 , and the like may be shaped by cutting and bending the single sheet of material as appropriate. Alternately, the various components may be formed of a variety of materials including metals, polymers, composites, ceramics, plastics, acrylics, wood, and the like, or combinations thereof, and/or the various components may be separately formed and attached together by any of a variety of methods known in the art, such as welding, riveting, gluing, nailing, and the like, or combinations thereof. 
         [0024]    One exemplary embodiment of the post reinforcement  10  suitable for reinforcing a 4″×4″ wooden post may have dimensions as follows, constructed, for example, from a single sheet of galvanized steel. The reinforcement  10  may have three panels  12 ,  14 , each with a body about 6 inches tall and about 3.75 inches wide, set perpendicularly to each other to define the receptacle  16  such as that shown in  FIG. 1 . Strike surfaces  28  may extend about ¼ inch outward from each panel  12 ,  14 , in a direction perpendicular to the body  13  of the associated panel  12 ,  14  and away from the receptacle  16 . Each panel  12 ,  14  may include a generally triangular stake portion  18  extending about 6 inches from the bottom  20  thereof and tapering from a width of about 2 inches at the bottom  20  of the panel  12 ,  14  to the point  22 . Each stake portion  18  may be centered along the width of its respective panel  12 ,  14 . Each stake portion  18  may have its lower tip  22  positioned inward in the direction of the receptacle  16  by about ⅛″ to ¼″ relative to the body  13  of the associated panel  12 ,  14 . Each stake portion  18  may include an inwardly-oriented barb  24  and an outwardly-oriented barb  26 , where each barb  24 ,  26  is formed from a generally-triangular notch cut into the stake portion  18  and bent inwardly/outwardly (as appropriate) such that the tip of the barb  24 ,  26  is positioned about ¼ of an inch from the main body of the respective stake portion  18 . The barbs  24 ,  26  may up to between about 1 and 1.5 inches long. 
         [0025]    Each panel  12 ,  14  may include openings  32  about ¼ inch in diameter to receive screws therein, which in one embodiment may be about 2 inches long. The opposed panels  14  may also include aligned openings  36  that are sized at about ⅜ inch in diameter on one panel  14  and about ½ inch in diameter on the other panel  14  to receive the bolt  38  therethrough. The side panels  14  may further include teeth  42  that are formed from generally-triangular notches about ¼ inch in length, cut into the bodies  13  of the side panels  14  and bent inwardly such that the teeth  14  extend into the receptacle  16  at about a 90° angle. It should be appreciated that these dimensions are exemplary only, and that a suitable post reinforcement  10  for a 4″×4″ post, or other size post, may alternately take many of a variety of other specific dimensions. 
         [0026]    The post reinforcement  10  may be used as follows, with reference to the non-limiting embodiment set forth above. The user locates a post  15  in need of reinforcement, for example a wooden, wood-based, composite or other type of post at risk of collapse due to rotting wood at or near ground level. The post reinforcement  10  is positioned about the outer perimeter of the target post  15  at ground level, with the points  22  of the stake portions  18  on the ground and the target post  15  received in the receptacle  16 . To position the reinforcement  10  about the target post  15 , it may be necessary to move the stake portions  18  outward against their bias to allow the post reinforcement  10  to fit about the post  15 . A three-sided embodiment of the post reinforcement  10  may enable ease of installation by attaching the reinforcement  10  from the side of the post  15  in an interference/press fit, but a one, two, or four-sided embodiment may alternately be used. In one embodiment, two separate two-sided reinforcements  10  could be used to surround the entire target post  15  without the installment complications inherent to a four-sided design. In this case, however, the barbs  24 ,  26  and teeth  42  may need to be adjusted as desired. 
         [0027]    Using a hammer, a mallet, or other appropriate tool, or in some cases stepping with a boot or the like, the user strikes the strike surfaces  28  to drive the reinforcement  10  into the support structure  17 . It may be necessary to use the strike surfaces  28  on more than one of the panels  12 ,  14  to facilitate installation. The user continues to drive the reinforcement  10  into the support structure  17  until the stake portions  18  are entirely, or substantially entirely, embedded in the support structure  17 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The bottoms  20  of the panels  12 ,  14  may or may be driven into the support structure  17  to some extent. Bottoms  20  also act as a stop surface so the user knows when to stop driving the post reinforcement  10  into the support structure  17 . Due at least in part to the bias of the stake portions  18 , the points  22  thereof may penetrate into the target post  15  at a location beneath the top/ground level of the support structure  17 . The barbs  24 ,  26  will thus serve as anchors to resist subsequent removal of the reinforcement  10  by pulling from above. 
         [0028]    With the post reinforcement  10  in position in the support structure  17 , wood screws  34  may be inserted through the openings  32  of the panels  12 ,  14  and driven into the target post  15  to secure the reinforcement  10  to the target post  15  above ground level. Further, a hole may be bored through the target post  15  between the openings  36  of the side panels  14 , and a bolt  38  may be passed therethrough and secured with the nut  40  to provide further above-ground securement of the reinforcement  10 . Securing the bolt  38  and/or the wood screws  34  also causes or assists the teeth  42  to penetrate the target post  15 , providing still further support to keep the reinforcement  10  in place. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the post reinforcement  10  may further be incorporated into a system including a chemical or substance that inhibits or prevents the rotting of wood. For example, a wood epoxy mixture may be spread on the base of the target post  15  before installation of the post reinforcement  10 . In one embodiment, the interior portions of the post reinforcement  10  may be coated with such a product to facilitate its application to difficult-to-access portions of the target post  15 , for example, to locations at or below ground level. 
         [0030]    Accordingly, the disclosed post reinforcement  10  may extend the usable life of a post  15  that has been weakened at or near ground level, for example as a result of rotting wood, by strengthening the post  15  at the weakened location. Alternately, the post reinforcement  10  can be used at the time of installation of the post  15  and/or prior to showing signs of rot or weakness, as a protective measure. 
         [0031]    Although the invention is shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it should be clear that modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, and the present invention includes all such modifications.

Summary:
A post reinforcement including a panel having a body portion and a stake portion. The post reinforcement further includes a first barb coupled to and extending away from the panel, wherein the first barb is generally positioned on a first side of the panel. The post reinforcement also includes a second barb coupled to and extending away from the panel, wherein the second barb is generally positioned on a second side of the panel opposite the first side.