Abstract:
Stackable anchors for use in sand, snow and the like including dead man plates, a unitary cord providing means for anchoring devices and for retrieval of the dead man plate from its buried location. In addition, an optional feature of the dead man plate includes means for receiving the unitary cord wrapped about a plurality of dead man plates to retain the anchors in stacked, adjacent relationship for compact storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to new devices and a system for providing a buried anchor and for easy retrieval of the buried anchor while at the same time providing the ability to compactly secure a plurality of anchors plates for compact storage in a small space such as in a tent case, backpack or other storage device. 
         [0003]    2. Background of the Invention and Related Art 
         [0004]    A number of anchoring devices and systems include implements which are buried in use. A number of devices include an anchor member with a rope or line attached and which require the anchor member to be driven into a host material. Such anchor devices are shaped so that when a force is exerted upon the rope or line, the buried anchor member opposes any force exerted upon the rope or line thereby providing an anchoring force. However, many prior art devices do not disclose any devices or methods for easy retrieval of the buried anchor. 
         [0005]    In one prior art device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,833 a paddle shaped member is provided. The paddle is used for digging for burial of the device. The paddle has two holes. Two ropes or rope ends are attached to the paddle member. One rope through each hole. One rope or rope end is used to provide an anchoring force. The other rope or rope end is used to retrieve the paddle from its buried locations. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,833 neither discloses, teaches nor suggests utilizing a unitary rope for passing through both holes and along the underside of the paddle while the paddle is buried and which unitary rope includes means for changing the tensioning force on the unitary rope from an anchoring tension to a retrieval tension. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,833 does not teach a manner in which to compactly store a plurality of anchors in a stackable fashion. 
         [0006]    Unlike the prior art, the present invention comprises a unitary rope extending continuously downward through one aperture in the dead man plate, along the underside of the dead man plate and upward through another aperture in the dead man plate. The unitary rope also comprises means to permit the unitary rope to be used to exert either an anchoring force or retrieval force upon the dead man, and the rope being readily removable from the dead man to permit compact, stackable storage of a plurality of dead man plates. 
         [0007]    The present invention also provides one or more plates having a size and shape that permit them to be stacked adjacent each other and which receive a rope, cord or line wrapped about the perimeter of the plates to secure the plates for compact storage 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    In order that the manner in which the above recited and other features and advantages of the present invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that the drawings depict only typical embodiments of the present invention and are not, therefore, to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention, the present invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIGS. 1A through 1C  illustrate exemplary embodiments of the dead man plate of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 2A through 2C  depict different embodiments of a device which provides three functions, namely a anchoring force, a retrieval force and cord to secure plates together for compact storage. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate anchoring force  1  and retrieval force  2  of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  depicts one embodiment of the device or system in its stacked or storage configuration 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. 
         [0014]    The present invention is directed to a novel combination dead man plate and unitary cord for providing an anchor system which can readily be retrieved from its buried state and which can be readily disassembled for compact, secure storage. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C, the dead man plate  10  can comprise a number of overall geometric shapes. Whether round, oval or some other geometric shape, the structural and functional feature described herein will apply. 
         [0016]    Plate  10  has a perimeter  12 . Due to the chosen geometric shape, perimeter  12  may have a corresponding shape. 
         [0017]    Plate  10  also comprises a cross-sectional thickness  14 . Thickness  14  may be substantially uniform as shown in  FIG. 1A . In the alternative, thickness  14  may taper as illustrated in  FIG. 1B . Thickness  14  may vary depending on the material from which plate  10  is made. Plate  10  may be made of plastic or vinyl, metal, wood or any other sufficiently rigid material which one of skill in the art would recognize as suitable for the apertures and tensions described below. 
         [0018]    Plate  10  comprises at least two apertures, first aperture  20  and a second aperture  30 . Plate  10  may comprise additional apertures such as aperture  40 . Generally, first aperture  20  is disposed at or near the geometric center of plate  10  or at or near its center of mass. This placement of first aperture  20  permits first aperture  20  to be utilized as the focal point of the anchoring forces discussed below. Second aperture  30  is placed between first aperture  20  and perimeter  12 . This placement of second aperture  30  permits second aperture  30  to be utilized as a focal point of the retrieval forces discussed below. For optimal retrieval performance, second aperture  30  is placed near perimeter  12 . 
         [0019]    Plate  10  may also comprise one or more indentation or cutouts  50  along perimeter  12 . Cutout  50  may comprise any number of shapes and sizes so long as they do not comprise the overall strength or ability of plate  10  to bear anchoring or retrieval forces with plate  10  breaking Cutout  50  is disposed along perimeter  12  to receive a binding cord  60  as shown in  FIG. 4  when a plurality of plates  10  are stacked for secured storage by wrapping cord  60  around plates  10 . 
         [0020]    The present invention also comprises cord  60 . Cord  60  has a first or anchoring portion  62  over which anchoring forces are exerted against plate  10 . Cord  60  also has a second or retrieval portion  64  over which retrieval forces are exerted against plate  10 . Cord  60  serves as means for providing anchoring and retrieval forces. Cord  60  is disposed downward through first aperture  20 , continues across the underside of plate  10  and is disposed upward through second aperture  30 . 
         [0021]    In one embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A , cord  60  further comprise a knots or enlargements  66  and  68 . Enlargements  66  and  68  serve to hold a tensioning member  70  such as bead or other device in place along cord  60 . A knot  66  or  68  of cord  60  may suffice provided the knot is large enough to prevent member  70  from moving past the knot  66  or  68 . One of skill in the art will also recognize that other devices enlargements  66  and  68  may be placed about or in cord  60 , not shown, to prevent substantial movement of tensioning member  70 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2A , tensioning member  70  should be configured to be larger than first aperture  20  and larger than second aperture  30 . In this way, when an anchoring force is exerted along cord portion  62  in the direction of arrow  1  as shown in  FIG. 3A , tensioning member  70  will move to exert an anchoring force upon plate  10  at or about first aperture  20  substantially perpendicular to plate  10 . This permits the user to use the end of cord portion  62  to anchor tents, awning, or any other object  80  above buried plate  10 . Plate  10  may be buried in any displaceable material  90  such as soil, sand, gravel, snow, grain, seeds, fruits, vegetables, processing material such as coal, coke, mined material and the like. 
         [0023]    When the user desires to remove plate  10  from its buried position, the user pulls cord portion  64  thereby exerting a retrieval force on cord  60 . When a retrieval force is exerted along cord portion  64  in the direction of arrow  2  as shown in  FIG. 3B , tensioning member  70  will move to exert retrieval force upon plate  10  at or about second aperture  30  closer to perimeter  12 . Exerting a retrieval force upon plate  10  nearer the perimeter causes plate  10  to pivot so that pulling plate  10  upward experiences less resistance because the perimeter  12  leads the way and moves through the bury material  90 . 
         [0024]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , tensioning member  70  could comprise a knot or enlargement as described above. As shown in  FIG. 2C , the present invention could comprise two tensioning members  70 . So long as a knot or other enlargement along cord  60  is larger than first aperture  20  and/or second aperture  30 , such a knot or enlargement can equally function as tensioning member  70 . As shown in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C, tensioning member  70  serves as means for selectively providing an anchoring force at the first aperture  20  and also for selectively providing a retrieval force at the second aperture  30 . 
         [0025]    The illustrated embodiments of  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C have a common structural and functional feature, namely, that cord  60  can be separated from plate  10  by simply pulling on cord  60  at or near tensioning member  70  on the underside of plate  10 . In this way, plate  10  is free of cord  60  as shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C. 
         [0026]    Cordless plates  10  can be stacked as shown in  FIG. 4 . Cord  60  can be wrapped around one or more plates  10 . Because cord  60  serves as means for providing anchoring and retrieval forces, cutouts  50  serve as means at the perimeter of each plate for receiving the anchoring and retrieval means in bound relationship about a plurality of stacked plates  10 . In this way, plates  10  can be securely stacked together for storage with the corresponding cords  60 . This ensures that plates  10  and cords  60  do not become separated during storage. This also permits plates  10  to be stored in small places such in the bottom or top of tents bags, in pockets of backpacks, under seats or in small storage spaces of cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, aircrafts or other recreational vehicles. 
         [0027]    The embodiments set forth above are illustrative only. Many equivalents structures will be apparent to one of skill in the art. The scope of the present invention is not to be limited by the described or illustrated shapes, but is to be understood as covered by the structural and functional features described in the following numbered claims.